Pocket lighter



Patented Mar. 9, 1948 POCKET LIGHTER fied-ri Hussein Gostkowski, Geneva, Switzerland;

asSi mr to Universa l Lighters Sellinglhmpany; Ltd.-,. Geneva, Switzerland, 2:. company of Switzerland 1 V Theobi'ect of the-present invention is po k tlig'h'te'r'. thefl'int oi wiii'cii is gu id'ed in the bore of an o scillatable" holderfor thepurpose of pivoting the flint-holderout of alignment with the abra'sion 'ofigniti'o'n wheel for thus rendering the" ripeningof the holder readily accessible for the replacement-qr the-flint.

In order to achieve this object. in accordance with the levee-nan; a"slide-' piece is provided in the-bore'of-tlie'-flint holdr a'nd dispos'ed between flint and flintspring. IIhis-slidepiece cooperates with a guide" groove' a wall of' the lighter, adjacente'to sai'd: flint holder; for"oscillatingthe flint holder into and out of ali'gi'imentwith the ignition wheel. g Y i For this'purpose, the' slide piece carries a pin which projects from its lip-per and lower sides and penetrates through-twoslots arranged one each in the upperand: lower' wall of the flint holder and extended axially towards the ignition wheel: The upper projectingend of the pin. is provided with'a knob whereas thelower projecting end is guided in the guide groove in the Wall of the lighter and in juxtaposition with the slot in the lower wall of the flint holder. The guide groove consists of two branches, one straight branch axially extended towards the ignition wheel for movement of the pin therein and alignment of the holder with the ignition wheel at normal operation of the lighter. At the farther end of this straight branch, the second branch deviates laterally therefrom for guiding, when the slide piece is withdrawn by'means of the knob against the action of the spring, the slide piece and oscillating the flint holder about its pivot out of alignment with the ignition wheel and rendering accessible the flint for replacement.

The annexed drawing shows by way of example an embodiment of a flint holder of the invention.

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the flint holder;

. an upper lo ngitudinalslot 9 and af'lower longimama slot :2; ur n wan oftlie flint holder. Pin liihasatits upper e'nd a'kn i l'lf by" means of which the slide piecefima'yflbepushed back or be withdrawn from the ignition wheel against the action-of spring 8:

other? pr t n a d 9f. P tt; lb trare'r g the lower-slot l2 and entersthe guide groove l3" The shape bi hi m is show Fig- 2- The groove consists efj two branches, a straight; axially extended branch 13a; directed parallel to se x dadne r: pr a: and bore 3; a'rida secorid 'branchgljfhdeviating laterally from the" firstfbrjan ch; Pivot t r .the flintholder is {disposed exteriorly 9 5; he axi's'of theflint holde'r' on'the-oppdsite side of'the de-'- viating branch I 311.

Figs. 1 and 3 show the different elements described in their working position.

Flint 4 may be taken out, put back or replaced in the following manner:

Knob l I is pushed back and spring 8 thus compressed. As may be easily seen from the Plan view of Fig. 3; this pressure will tend to cause the flint holder to turn about pivot [4 in the sense of arrow l5, owing to the eccentric position of the pivot. This movement, however, cannot take, place as long as the lower end of pin I0 is guided in the straight branch l3a of the guide groove. But, as soon as the pin reaches branch ltb, the flint holder will be oscillated and will finally reach the position 2 indicated in dotted Fig. 2 is a top view on the guide. groove of the flint holder of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the flint holder of Fig. 1.

On the upper wall of the fuel tank of the lighter, there is mounted a pivot I4 about which the flint holder, generally designated by 2, may be oscillated. 3 is the bore of the flint holder, open towards the abrasion or ignition wheel 5 and closed at its farther end. The bore 3 contains the flint spring 8 and the flint 4 which bears against ignition wheel 5. 7

Between spring 8 and flint 4, there is arranged the slide piece 6 which carries at its rear end a rod 1 for centering thereupon the spring 8 which lines in Fig. 3. In this position, the holder will be held since the spring by means of the slide piece urges the lower end of pin l0 against the wall of the guide groove branch I312, the resulting force being vertical or nearly vertical to the wall, so that the slide piece cannot be pushed forward in the bore of the holder.

The flint may now be removed and put back or replaced by another one. To bring the flint back into its working position with respect to the ignition wheel, it sumces to push the holder in the direction opposite the arrow l5. When the pin reaches the straight branch I30, of the guide groove i the slide piece under the action of spring 3 will thrust back the flint against the ignition wheel.

The slide piece, when the flint is used up, can- 3 not be pressed against the wheel since it is held back as pin Ill reaches the end of groove [3.

Branch l3b of the guide groove has been illustrated as directed practically tangentially of a circle dnawn about the axis of pivot 14. It could also form a right angle with the branch 13a or have any intermediary or diiferent direction, excepted, of course, that with a more obtuse angle than that shown, the slide piece, under the action of spring 8, might slide out of branch l3b and the holder would not stay in position 2 but would prematurely return into its working osition.

It should be noted, finally, that the axis c--c of the flint holder, in the working position of the holder, is slightly eccentric and to the rear of the axis of the ignition wheel withrrelation to the direction, arrow I6, in which the Wheel projects the sparks.

This has the advantage that the sparks are pro- J'eoted in a direction nearer the perpendicular to the axis c-c than usually is the case with the conventional lighters and, consequently, the wick of the lighter is more reliably reached. Moreover, any catching between wheel and flint may thus be avoided.

What I claim is:

1. In a pocket lighter having a body and an ignitionwheel, a flint holder osciilatably mounted on said lighter, said flint holder having an axially extended bore opening towards the ignition wheel of the lighter and closed at its farther end for housing therein a flint and a spring; said holder further provided with a slide piece slidably arranged in said bore between said spring and said flint, a guide groove in the wall of said lighter adjacent to said flint holder, said slide piece adapted for cooperating with said guide groove whereby to oscillate said flint holder respectively in and out of alignment with said ignition wheel.

2. In a pocket lighter having a body and an ignition wheel, a flint holder, a pivot secured to a wall of said lighter tor pivotally mounting 4 thereon said flint holder, said flint holder having an axially extended bore opening towards the ignition wheel of the lighter and closed at its farther end for housing therein a flint and a spring; said holder further provided with a slide piece slidably arranged in said bore, said spring adapted to bear against the closed end of said -bore and to urge said slide piece against said flint; said flint holder having, extended axially towards said ignition wheel, slots in its upper and lower wall, .a guide groove provided in said lighter wall andrin juxtaposition with said slot in the lower wall of said flint holder; said slide piece having a pin rojecting from its upper and lower sides and penetrating through said slots, with a knob at the upper of its projecting ends and with its lower projecting end entering said guide groove; said groove having a straight branch axially extended towards said ignition wheel for movement of said pin therein and alignment of the holder with said ignition wheel at normal operation of the lighter, and, at the farther end of said straight branch, a branch deviating laterally therefrom for guiding, when said slide piece is withdrawn by means of said knob against the action of said spring, said slide piece and oscillating said flint holder about said pivot out of alignment with said ignition wheel and rendering accessible said flint for replacement.

BEDRI HUSSEIN GOSTKOWSKI.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,102,103 B0118 Dec. 14, 1937 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 567,284: Great Britain Feb. 6, 1945 

